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US can't stop foreign fighters
28/06/2003 17:44 - (SA)
Baghdad - US forces in Iraq said on Saturday they were trying to regain control of the country's borders, but admitted they were powerless to stop foreign fighters infiltrating the country to attack their soldiers.
"We're working to reestablish Iraqi control of its borders," a senior coalition military official said, asking not to be named.
"As far as subversive elements or fighters that may be infiltrating, we believe that yes, they could be infiltrating every day," he said.
"But we're not going to defeat them by trying to go out on the border and close the border, that's an impossible task," the official added.
The US-led coalition has blamed former regime loyalists and Fedayeen militia swelled with foreign fighters for a string of fatal attacks on coalition troops in recent weeks.
But the senior official said that there was nothing US forces could do to stop them entering Iraq.
"We've got hundreds and thousands of miles of desert border out there that we can't control and if they're dedicated enough and hardy enough, then of course they can" infiltrate the country, he said.
The US-led coalition has previously accused neighbouring Iran of interfering in Iraq's internal affairs.
Top US overseer Paul Bremer said earlier this month that there were "people who represent elements of the Iranian government actively trying to subvert the process of democratisation and reconstruction in Iraq."
Coalition radio last month also warned that "fundamentalists under foreign command have entered Iraq with aggressive intent," but without referring to Iran by name.
- AFX
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